Astrophysics > Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Title:
Topological Defects in Gravitational Lensing Shear Fields

Abstract: Shear fields due to weak gravitational lensing have characteristic coherent
patterns. We describe the topological defects in shear fields in terms of the
curvature of the surface described by the lensing potential. A simple
interpretation of the characteristic defects is given in terms of the the
umbilical points of the potential surface produced by ellipsoidal halos. We
show simulated lensing shear maps and point out the typical defect
configurations. Finally, we show how statistical properties such as the
abundance of defects can be expressed in terms of the correlation function of
the lensing potential.